The Citrus Swallowtail butterfly, Heraclides andraemon Hubner, was first observed in Jamaica in 1945. Since its arrival, it has become the most predominant citrus-plant feeding swallowtail butterfly on the island. As a result, it has become a significant pest of citrus plants, especially nurseries. Young seedlings are particularly vulnerable, as they are less capable of surviving having their leaves eaten by butterfly larvae compared to mature citrus plants. The butterflies prefer local species of citrus plants, such as lime plant and orange plant. Their consumption of citrus plants is costly and wasteful, which makes them a tremendous pest to the citrus industry.
Measures taken by the industry to prevent attack on citrus plant nurseries thus far have proved expensive, ineffective, and in some instances, deleterious to the environment. These methods include spraying, hand removal, and the use of physical barriers such as netting.